More Than a Partner
by Catrina
Summary: Sally and Wufei have been partners for five years, but has there always been something more? COMPLETE


**Title: More Than a Partner**

**Author: **Catrina

**Summary**: Sally and Wufei have worked together for five years, but is there something there more than friendship.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gundam Wing or any of the Gundam Characters.

**Authors Notes: **This is by far not my best story, but I have always liked the Sally and Wufei relationship. I wrote this about 5 years ago along with some other stories that I just now decided to post. I hope that there are other 5xS lovers out there who like the story as well. Anyway…let me know what you think and enjoy.

00-00-00-00

Why, why did he have to be here? Wufei asked himself again. He stood against the wall watching all the dancers swirl around the floor creating a blur of colors. He looked over to see Duo once again eating the majority of the food at the snack bar and then there was Heero dancing with Relena, he wished right now he was like Quatre he had escaped ball duty. Zechs and Noin were dancing and then there was Une against the wall opposite if him talking to a woman who had his back turned. Funny he didn't see Trowa anywhere. He leaned his frame against the wall, earning some disapproving looks from the watchers nearby. He simply ignored them. Five years had changed him. Not drastically, he was taller, more muscular, his hair a little longer, his face thinner. He enjoyed his work for the Preventers; it had given him a purpose, some reason to still be here, to still be alive. He looked over and nodded at Une when he saw her looking at him. He had to wonder who she was with he didn't recognize her. She had long wheat colored hair and was somewhat tall and looked fairly small in the black ensemble that she was wearing. Then the woman turned around. Sally smiled and waved at him. He watched as she said something to Une then started towards him. This would at least make the evening a little more bearable, he thought. She was the one woman that he could actually stand to be around. Maybe he could find a way to fight with her, that was always fun, the thought the smirk showing slightly on his face.

She made her was over slowly not used to walking in shoes that were a mile high, she was glad though that she had gotten away with wearing black wide leg pants and then a hip length gold suit jacket over it. He seemed surprised to see her but then again she was covering for Trowa. "Wufei." She said finally reaching him. He looked amazingly sharp in his tuxedo but she had a feeling that Une must have threatened his job to get him into it.

"Woman, I thought you got off?" He said shortly. Sally used to it just ignore the tone knowing that he was curious.

"Well Trowa needed off." She said.

"You would work it for him but not for me?" He asked insulted.

"You never asked." She told him smiling. He stopped what he was about to say realizing that he had never asked. "Beside then we couldn't dance." She said grabbing his hand and pulling him to the floor.

"Damned woman." He muttered onyx eyes slitting in her direction as he followed her to the floor.

"What was that?" She asked as she felt his arm go around her waist and their hands switched her pale hand gently laying in his darker one. She put her arm around his shoulders then laid a cool hand on his neck and then they joined in the flow of the dance floor.

"I said, Damned woman." He said looking down at her. That was one of the pleasures of getting older; she had to look up to him now, considering her head reached right below his chin.

"I know don't ya love us?" She said on a laugh.

"No." He said honestly.

"So I have guard duty on her speech tomorrow. You?" She asked as the watched Relena swirl by dancing with one of her many admirers.

"Yeah me too." Wufei said wishing that he could whine.

"Well at least you're with someone that you can stand." He had told her that once before and she never let him forget that he said it.

"At least?" he asked raising a brow. "I don't want to do it at all." He said, "Baby sitting. Waste of all my talent."

"Hey, last three speeches she has been attacked, it may happen again; maybe we can get some action." She said. Wufei looked at her in question then watched as a rosy blush creeped up her cheeks when she realized what it sounded like. "I didn't mean it like that." He smiled slightly at her discomfort.

"What, I'm not handsome?" He asked deciding to play with her a little bit, so he decided to act insulted. Sally looked up at him shocked. He had defiantly been around Duo too long, she confirmed.

"No, it's not that, you are, handsome, very," she said the last part under her breath, "but I don't think of you like that." She said, good this was starting to sound better.

"Think of me like how?" He asked still acting insulted. It was so amusing watching the woman who never got flustered in the face of action get flustered by her own words.

"Think of you in a…sex kinda way." She told him continuing to blush.

"And why not?" He asked trying not to smile; she wouldn't even look at him, everywhere but him actually.

"Partner, you're my partner." She said finally getting her confusion and embarrassment under control. She never got like this, Wufei was the only one who could ever get her flustered or frustrated.

"Partner…now that word can be taken in many connotations." He said trying not to laugh over the past years he had slightly become more casual, but only slightly.

"Work partner, we work together."

"Yes we do. I understand." He said turning his head she would see him smiling. She leaned her head down relieved that that was over. He looked down watching her lay her head on his chest then felt her sigh of relief through his garments. They finished that dance in silence. "Well hopefully someone will try to kill her tomorrow." He said optimistically as the dance ended.

"But we'll stop them." She said. "I think Heero would kill us if we let her die." He nodded his agreement then let his arms fall to his sides, as did she the same. They spent the rest of the night in comfortable silence, scanning the crowd and often checking with the hostess on late coming guest. Later in the evening Duo asked Sally to dance and she did and their laughter echoed around the dance floor. It was about 11:00 at night when they saw a stranger come in the door. Wufei tapped Sally.

"Who's that?" he whispered.

"Don't know, I'll go check with the hostess." She walked away her sore feet making a clicking of the floor as she moved. She got to the entryway only to find it empty. She walked over to the stand with the names of list to see that everyone who was invited was here. She looked around the area noticing a door that was open a crack, she walked over slowly pulling out the gun she had in her shoulder holster and pulled open the door. The hostess was crammed in the door, tied, gagged and unconscious. She leaned down checking the pulse in her neck and finding a steady beat, obviously the only person they wanted to kill was the one they had to. "You!" She yelled to a passerby, "Call for an ambulance and stay her until they come." The person looked at her then her gun and nodded. She quickly untied and pulled out the gag then went in to find Wufei. She looked to Wufei who instantly knew something was wrong. He made his way over to her, people parting for him as he went.

"What's wrong woman?" He asked, grabbing her arm and pulling her toward him.

"The hostess was attacked, where did that man go?" She asked.

"Where did Relena go?" He asked.

"She'll be fine, Heero is with her." She said.

"No he's not, look." He said pointing to Duo who was talking with the man in question.

"I'll go get them you find Relena." She ordered moving on her way. It took about twenty seconds to mobilize a search for her. The group put in their microphones and earpeices separated into teams and headed on their way. Sally followed Heero while Duo went after Wufei. Heero knew Relena's hiding spots well he was the one actually the one who found them for her saying that if she needed a break she had to do it safely. They ran up the stairs and up the second flight, the whole first level was locked up.

"Anything?" Duo asked over the Radio.

"No you?" Sally inquired.

"I found Wufei."

"Keep looking." Heero ordered.

"Who found'em. Balcony fourth floor." They ran to the end of the hall and up the stairs again.

"Your location?" Sally asked.

"Balcony, second floor." Wufei's voice barked over the radio. Sally and Heero ran down the hall reaching the balcony. Relena stood there, laying her arms on the edge not knowing that someone was behind her. Duo and Wufei hadn't told her afraid to provoke the attacker. "You get her out of here." Sally told Heero, "I'll take care of the attacker." He nodded his main concern was keeping Relena safe, he knew that Sally could take care of herself. "Stop right there." She ordered the attacker. He went to rush forward but she grabbed his arm turning him and throwing an uppercut to his chin knocking the man to the ground. She picked up his gun placing it in the waist band of her pants and watched as Relena quickly climbed on Heero's back an hung on while he jumped to the third floor balcony then the second, and rushed her inside.

"Coming up to the balcony now." She heard Duo voice as she ordered the man to get onto his knees. The man came up slowly, getting onto his knees.

"Place your hands behind your head." She ordered. She could now hear their shoes on the marble floor of the hallway. He followed her orders placing his hands behind his.

"Relena's safe I'm on my way." Heero's voice said in her ear. The man saw her distraction and jumped up reaching for her gun. She stepped back avoiding his hand. He stepped forward once again, hitting her face with a punch out of nowhere. Wufei pulled the door back and grabbed the man from behind grabbing both his arms before Sally could shoot him. Duo, the only one with handcuffs cuffed the man who was staying silent. She walked up to him looking at him for the first time. He was about as tall as she was with jet-black hair and cobalt blue eyes. She put her gun in her holster and quickly brought her fist back hitting him in the face. His face jerked with the power of her anger.

"That hurt, bastard." She said referring to the punch he had landed on her face, it was already starting to bruise.

"Police brutality." The man said looking at her smirking..

"We aren't police." Wufei told him pushing him to Duo who was going to take him down to Preventer HQ so Heero could question him.

"Woman, you okay?" He asked roughly, noting the forming bruise.

"Fine, I can't believe I let him do that."

"He was fast, we all make mistakes." He told her hoping to soothe her ego.

"You don't." She said fingering the bruise lightly as she walked away. Wufei stood on the balcony in total confusion as she walked down the hall. He watched her go.

00-00-00-00

She hung up her black suit that she wore then went to the bathroom to take a shower. After the hot shower, she lingered in front of the mirror studying the bruise that covered her left cheek. It wasn't a dark bruise, but it hurt like hell. She put on an old T-shirt and some boxers and then crawled into bed. It was already 2:00 in the morning and she had to be up by 7:00 to meet Relena and the other bodyguards at 8:00. It was gonna be a short night.

Across town her partner was thinking the exact same thing, but the thing that was different was that he couldn't fall asleep. His thoughts were full of the night that he had had. Wufei smiled remembering how much fun he had torturing Sally while they were dancing and then the chase after the attacked. That was his problem though, the man had a good opportunity to kill Relena while she was standing on the balcony, but he didn't. Why?

00-00-00-00

They all stood in their Preventer uniforms in Relena's office at 8:00 in the morning. Relena sat behind her desk signing papers, used to having them in her office. Wufei, Duo, Heero, and Trowa stood silently waiting for Sally and Une to arrive. Une came in the door and nodded to those already there. "Okay here's the arrangement." She said to everyone. "Trowa, you are taking the south side of the conference center. Wufei, you get the west. That entrance is locked no one should come in that way, if they do hand them over to security. Heero you get the east, that entrance is where everyone is coming in. Duo you get the entryway. Scan everyone for weapons and then they must be on the list. No extra press except for what is on the list. Sally, will be your assistant for the day. You are to go no where with out her. Understand me Relena?"

"Yes, where is she?" She asked.

"She is changing. We couldn't have her in her Preventer uniform, could we?" She reasoned. "Everyone understand your assignments?" She waited for the nods, then walked over to Relena. "This.." She said pulling out a small gold cross, "is a tracking device. In case something happens we can track your location through this device." Relena nodded used to the procedure. Efficiently she took the necklace and placed it around her neck. Everyone turned when the door opened, and a very frustrated Sally Po walked in and looked at Une accusingly. She then pointed down to her feet encased in stylish looking three inch heels. "How the hell am I supposed to protect her in heels and a skirt? This wasn't a functional choice, Une." Sally ranted for a moment.

"I'm sorry Sally it was all they had in your size that would go along with the suit." She said. The suit she was wearing was green with black leather trim. The skirt stopped right above her knees and had a small slit in the back. It was formfitting and showed off the woman tiny waist accenting the curves of her waist and bust. The only thing that didn't look good was the bruise.

"And about the suit, where do I put my gun?" She asked. Her blue eyes a little angry, "you aren't gonna put me up there with out my gun." She said shock registering across her face for the first time.

"Of course not, the back of the suit is long enough for you to put it in the waistband of your skirt." Sally took the gun and put in on the small of her back. There was an obvious bump. "It will have to do, it was all they had. Now Relena has some make-up that will cover that bruise. We are going to take our positions. See you downstairs." Sally watched them all leave then sat down on Relena's desk.

"How in the hell do you walk in these things ten hours a day." She asked the young blond pulling the make up out of her desk.

"Practice, lots of practice." She said on a laugh.

00-00-00-00

"Man when did Sally get so hot?" Duo asked. "Did anyone else notice she had really long legs?" He asked again. Trowa stayed silent and Heero looked over to him giving him a glare. "Ha! So you noticed too." He accused Heero who almost looked guilty. "So Wu-man, does she always look like that?"

"Shut up, Baka." He said not wanting to think about his partner like that. Granted he did think she had really long legs and the suit made her look…appealing.

"I mean has anyone else not noticed her until now." He looked over to whom he was with and realized that he probably wouldn't get an answer. He looked over and saw Trowa nod his head slightly in agreement, though he was with Quatre Duo guessed he could still look. "She's gonna draw more attention then Relena, maybe we need to protect her." Duo said joking. Wufei looked over to him glaring.

"Sally can take care of herself." He said with confidence.

"Or you can. Com'on you want to." Duo said suggestively. Then stopped short as Wufei placed his forearm against his throat pushing him against the hall wall.

"What was that supposed to mean?" He asked putting pressure on Duo's throat.

"Nothing Wufei, calm down." Heero said placing a hand on his shoulder. "Let him go." He let him go and walked off in front of the group going in the conference room and taking his wall. The other took their positions and Duo's voice came over the radio.

"Dude, Wu-man, didn't mean to piss you off."

"Apology accepted." Wufei himself didn't even know why he got so mad, probably because he didn't like anyone thinking of Sally like that, though over the past year he had caught himself doing it, more than once. Noticing her body, her actions, and even her perfume. It confused him now as much as then. He watched as the guest filed in, he had two try to get in the west entrance and he handed them over to security both times. Other than that all was going well.

Relena walked in the room, followed by Sally who he had to admit, Duo was right, her legs were very long, leading to small waist and generous breasts. What was he doing, mentally hitting himself while shaking his head.

Sally searched for Wufei when she got him, finding him she saw him shaking his head. She smiled noticing his relaxed posture against the wall knowing that it would take him less that a second to be ready for action. He had changed since she had first met him. Grown from a fifteen-year-old warrior to a 21-year-old man. A good man with good judgment of right and wrong. He could draw the line between right and wrong so easily. For her it was harder, she could see the gray, Wufei wouldn't let himself see it. He was taller that her now she reached his chin and in his five years as a Preventer he had gone through 5 different sizes of uniforms. He was at least six-foot tall maybe even six two. And as she had told him the night before he was handsome really handsome.

She sat down beside Relena who looked over to her. "Sally you know much more then me and I have something I want to ask you about." Relena seeing that she had all of Sally attention, continued, "How long do you wait?" She asked looking at Heero. "I can't wait forever."

"Relena," she said looking at the girl. "You can wait as long as your heart can take it. But understand, the way you feel for Heero, you will never feel that way about someone else."

"How long will you wait?" She asked her aqua eyes carefully studying Sally.

"Huh?"

"For Wufei?" Relena expanded.

"Oh!" She said surprised. "Wufei and I don't feel that way about each other."

"But…"

"What we have is a good friendship and a working relationship. We aren't in love." She clarified, noting how it hurt a little bit to say that out loud. She smiled at the girl then reached up to her ear to put the earpiece in her ear, then she put the bear pin on her suit that was her mic. "Anyone hear me?" She whispered in her mic.

"Loud and clear." Wufei's voice echoed in her ear. She sat back in the comfortable chair looking over the crowd not seeing anyone strange. Relena looked back over to her.

"So there is nothing between you and Wufei?" Relena questioned again.

"No, we're friends and partners and we know each other better then anyone else."

"So how long would you wait."

"Relena, five years is a long time to wait for someone to realize that they love you. I wouldn't have even waited that long. But listen to your heart, when your heart tells you that it's over, it's over if year heart finds someone new don't cling to the past. Love who you love and then if they can't love you back, you have to move on." Sally put a hand over her mic and then whispered to Relena, "Personally, I think Heero is worth waiting for."

"But I don't know how much longer I can stand it." Relena whispered, her eyes starting to tear. Sally nodded patting the girl's hand, she hoped that Heero had got the message, from the way he was looking at both of them he was. She had changed her mic to send only to him. They were all on the same channel, but they had different quite codes. Relena wiped her eyes, "And now I have to go make a big speech," she said laughing. She stood up turning back, "am I presentable?"

"Yeah," She said nodding. She turned her radio back to all channels and heard Wufei's voice traced with laughter.

"Giving love advice. Ha, funny, woman, you haven't had a date in a year."

"Yeah I have, you just never know about them." She said with a smile. "Now shut up and concentrate."

"Peace," Relena's voice echoed through the room, "is something that…." The speech went on for about an hour, then she fielded questions, then everyone gave her a standing ovation. Sally stood by her side as the guest came up by her side to talk and debate with her on the topics that she touched on. Many hitting on her and asking her opinion. About 2:00 in the afternoon the other Preventers left, but Sally stayed the rest of the day as Relena's assistant and this was the first speech in the last month when she didn't get attack. She let the office at 7:30 and Sally rode with her home and placed Relena safely in the hands of the security in her apartment building. Then Relena's limo dropped her off so she could pick up her jeep and then she went to prevent HQ to type up her report on the two days events. She walked into the bright entryway and headed to her office, even though it was almost 8:00 about half of the Preventers were still in the office. She walked up the stairs to the office that she and Wufei shared. He looked up noticing her arrival then went back to what ever he was doing. She sat down at the desk pulling the shoes that she had worn all day off her tired feet. She breathed a sigh, then pulled her gun out of her waistband earning another sigh.

"Will you shut up already woman." Wufei said looking up exasperated.

"Sorry, but if you had to walk around in these all day you be sighing too." She said holding up the evil shoes. She then threw them in a corner, then hoping that Wufei didn't see she peeled off the pantyhose and started working on her reports. It didn't take her long, she had both of them done in and hour then she printed and stapled them then set them on her desk, ready to give to Une in the morning.

Wufei watched as she kept looking over at him. He knew he looked like he was watching his computer screen, but he couldn't figure out what she was doing. Then it clicked, she was pulling off her whatever-the hell they were called, hose of some type. He played solitaire on his computer waiting for her to get done. He didn't feel like going home yet, usually he liked to be alone, but tonight he really didn't want to. He jerked his head up when he heard his name.

"What?" He growled.

"I asked if you wanted to go play pool in the break room." She asked looking concerned. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He said brushing off her concern.

"So do you want to or not." She said referring to her offer.

"Sure." He said grabbing his jacket. She went to the corner grabbed her shoes, throwing the pantyhose away. He locked the office and they headed down to the breakroom on the first floor. She padded down beside him carrying her shoes. They walked in the breakroom, the lights were dimmed and there was music playing but the room was empty. They walked over to the pool table in the corner and set up the table.

"You wanna break?" She asked chalking up her stick. He nodded lining up the cue with the balls and then broke.

"Solid." He said lining up again and putting in another ball. He put in another than missed.

"So I'm stripes?" She asked then he nodded and she proceeded to play the game. She hit one in, than another, then leaned across the table to try to get another one in. Wufei watched as she leaned over the table and wondered if she knew that her skirt was hardly covering anything when she leaned across the table. He watched with pure male satisfaction. She missed her next shot. "Your turn," she told him. He proceeded to clear the table of the solids when all he had left was the eight ball he set it up so she would have to lean over the table again. What could he say, he was a male and appreciated the view. She leaned over the table not even thinking as she put another ball in then another, then another, clearing all the stripes but one. The cue was lined up to the eight ball almost a clean shot into the corner pocket. She figured that she had lost this game. She stood by the corner pocket and watched as he sunk the eight ball. "Good game." She told him looking over to him.

"Wanna play again?" He asked.

"Sure," she said surprised that he had asked. They set up again and played three more matches. The clock struck midnight when they were finishing their fourth game. "Wow," she said amazed at how late it had gotten. "Time to head home." They both headed out to the parking garage and after saying goodnight Wufei sped out on his bike. She watched him go. It had been fun playing pool. She climbed in her jeep and turned the key. The vehicle gurgled then died. She tried again and it did the same thing. She slammed her head against the steering wheel and then got out of her jeep. She went back in the Preventers building then out the main entrance to walk home.

Wufei made a sharp u-turn in the street remembering that he had left his wallet setting on the table in the game room. He took the back roads getting back to HQ running in grabbing his wallet and then heading to the main entrance.

"Are you here to pick up agent Po?" The man at the desk asked.

"No why do you ask?" He asked confused.

"Well she said her jeep died again and that she was walking home, I offered to call someone but she said she had no one to call. Five miles is sure a long walk." He said going back to reading his magazine. Wufei shook his head and got back on his bike that he had illegally parked on the sidewalk and then blew out once again heading in the opposite direction of his apartment. It didn't take long for him to find her she was walking slowly down the sidewalk. She was carrying her shoes in her hand and was walking as slow as humanly possible. He sped up and jumped the curb using his bike to cut her off.

"Get on." He ordered. She looked up her blue eyes startled.

"Wufei?" She asked. She wondered if it was an illusion, she was a little more tired than she thought.

"Get on." He barked again. With out questions she slipped on the painful shoes, tugged up the short skirt and jumped on the bike behind him. She placed her arms around his waist and then laid her head against his shoulder blade. The bike sped up and she simply held onto him relaxing. He smiled as she relaxed against him. It had been a long day for both of them though most likely longer for her. He had spent a lot of the day questioning the man who had tried to kill Relena the day before while she got to run around playing assistant. He came to a stop in front of her apartment. When she didn't move to get off, he shook his shoulders.

"Sally!" He said getting her attention.

"Thank you so much Wufei. I owe you." She talked into his back before getting off the bike. She pulled the skirt down and then looked at him again. "Thanks." She said. He nodded then kicked up dirt and dust as he turned the bike and went home himself.

00-00-00-00

The man sat in the cell waiting for the voice. He held his hand close to his ear waiting. It came late right after the guard passed.

"So you are in?" It asked.

"Yes."

"What cell?"

"Third one from the door on the left."

"And what are the problems?"

"Security guard in the main entrance, roaming security guards, motion detectors and lights, cameras every five feet, number codes needed to get into both the prison block area and the offices."

"Where is the prison block?" The voice asked.

"Sub level, 2."

"Sub level one?"

"It is offices and what looks like a breakroom."

"Stay strong my brother, we will get you out, and know that we know the Preventer layout, will bring them down when we get you out. Take out your transmitter out and link it to the camera in your false eye, then we will download it here and get you out soon. End transmission." He pulled the splinter like transmitter out of his palm then poked the sharp end into the pupil of his false eye that was actually a small camera.

" Over and out." He said then to himself "Soon."

00-00-00-00

He woke up tired and grumpy, it was 7:00, and it was the second night in a row with out much sleep. He rubbed his onyx eyes and walked to his shower. He took a quick shower and then got dress, he debated on the bike or the jeep going with the bike. He climbed on and then headed to work. Knowing that Sally would rather die than ask him for help he found her about a mile into her walk to work.

"Woman, have you ever thought about getting a new car?" He asked idling beside her.

"Yes I have and I think I will this weekend. Wanna come?" She asked. "I would love to have another opinion." She said.

"Only because I don't want you to waste your money." She graced him with a bright smile. "Damned woman, get on." Luckily today she didn't have to pretend to be Relena's assistant so she was back in her Preventer garb. She climbed on once again wrapping her arms around his waist. She knew there was a metal handle on the back, but she loved Wufei's muscled stomach she couldn't help it. Just like she knew he enjoyed the view during their pool game last night. He parked by her jeep and both headed in. He looked over, glancing at her, and today the bruise wasn't covered up by makeup. The bruise was turning a yellowish color proof that it was healing, but it made him upset to see that she had been hurt.

"Hey guys look at this," Duo said rushing in the office.

"Radio waves came out of the cell block last night." He said looking at what Duo had given him.

"But how can that be?" She said, putting an arm across Wufei's shoulder to look at the data herself.

"We think he's wearing a transmitter," Heero said from the doorway, "but we don't know where."

"Remember that time that we went undercover and we had transmitters that we had put in out arms, they were metal, that means an x-ray would pick it up." Sally said. Sally went to the med-bay and waited for the others to bring the aslant up. Dylan was his name they had found out, but only after digging through all the false records the guy had. They brought him down and tied him to the bed. She then put the lead apron over his groin and ran the x-ray. She left him tied up and took the others with her to the computer room. She watched as the picture came up. The others looked at it not sure what to look for. "Here." She said pointing to his hand. There was a small sliver. "That's it," she said, then stopped as the x-ray of his face came up. "Well that's weird, he has an artificial eye, but it has metal in it. Most artificial ones are plastic or glass."

"Could it be something else?" Heero wondered.

"Like what?" Duo asked.

"Like a camera." Wufei said solemnly. "We put a camera on a button on Relena's suit once, why not an eye?" He asked the question aloud

"His capture must have been part of the plan then." Stated Duo.

"They wanted to get in Preventers headquarters." Sally said.

"Okay who wants to tell Une?" Duo asked as they all looked at Sally.

"Fine!" She said throwing her hands in the air. She said as she turned and walked away. "Cowards!" She said as she shut the door.

"Damn straight." Was Duo's reply.

00-00-00-00

They threw him back in his cell not taking the transmitter or the camera, but scanned all frequencies knowing that there would be a transmission soon. They only caught the last part of the transmission seeing that they had had to scan all the frequencies. All they got was the "over and out."

00-00-00-00

"So wanna play pool again tonight?" She asked tapping her pencil against her desk.

"Damn it would you stop that." He said as her pencil continued to tap with a steady beat. "If I say yes will you stop." She looked at the pencil than at the air.

"Sure." She said.

"Yes, I will play pool with you. I don't get it do you like to lose?"

"No, I like the game."

"Stupid woman."

"Smarter than you." She replied. She was sassy today. He loved to fight with her, though he was never gonna tell her that, they both enjoyed it and neither took it personal.

"How so?" He asked.

"I was a doctor by the age of 19." She informed him, though he already knew.

"So I was flying a Gundam when I was fifteen." He said.

"Like that takes brains." She said scuffing him.

"It does, that machine can put a lot of stress on the person in control." He said.

"Like there's no stress, holding peoples lives in your hand." She said

"I held thousands of lives in my hand." He said.

"That was war, you were supposed to kill."

"Yeah but I still could have let them live."

"Not if you wanted to live yourself."

"It takes a lot to control a Gundam. Weak people like you could never have handled it."

"I know but it takes a lot to be a doctor too. And I am not weak."

"Not as much. Are to."

"Just as much. Am not."

"I think not and you are weak."

"Oh, I think so and I am as strong as you."

"You are not smarter or stronger than me."

"Oh my gods, you two are a riot." Duo said from the doorway.

"Get out!" they both yelled at the laughing Duo. He turned and walked away, laughing down the hall.

00-00-00-00

It was about ten when they went down to the break room. Most of the Preventers had left early for the weekend and the rest were trailing out as they walked down to the break room. They took a few minutes to set up. Then they played their first game Sally getting stripes and Wufei getting solids, Wufei won that match. She set up the table then broke again. "Why do I always get stripes?" She asked aloud watching as the striped ball fell into the corner pocket. She was getting on the warm side so she unzipped her Preventer jacket and laid it on the table behind them. The tank top underneath was white and fairly tight but she was comfortable around Wufei so she really wasn't too conscious of her self. Wufei followed suit throwing his jacket over hers. The white tank top he wore was similar to hers.

"Because the solids are better." Wufei said watching her sink a ball. She sank another then it was his turn. He almost got the table clear and then put the cue ball in a position so she would lean over the table. She smiled and shook her head and leaned over the table to shoot.

"So Wufei will you take me home tonight?" She asked looking up from her game. He looked at her and just like when they were dancing a blush covered her cheeks. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded. My jeep's still out of commission." He mentally smiled, he loved to play mind games with her.

"And if I did." He asked stalking closer.

"What?" Sally asked, setting her pool stick beside her.

"Take you home."

"You wouldn't." She said.

"And why not. I've seen you notice me." He said enjoying himself.

"Oh like you didn't enjoy the view of me playing pool in my skirt." She said sarcastically raising a brow at him.

"I did." He admitted. He smirked and she couldn't help but realize that a part of her wished that he would kiss her. He stood right in front of her, wondering how far he should take it, he placed a hand on either side of her boxing her in. "Why do you say things like that?" He pondered for a moment then continued speaking when she said nothing. "Do you know what a Freidman slip is?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's when you…oh you don't think?" She questioned. "You egotistical jerk."

"Why it could be true." He said raising a brow.

"You are so cocky. You are still a boy." She said stating the obvious lie.

"I think not, and you don't see me as one either." He said confidently even though he was slightly insulted.

"Okay so maybe you're right." This all started as a game, but now Wufei wanted to know the truth, and he wanted to know now.

"If I kissed you right now what would you do?" He asked once again arching his brow and studying her.

"I would…Hell! I don't know. Why do you care? Does it feed your ego?"

"No, but I think that I should know if my partner has…other feelings for me." He said.

"Well I don't." She told him and she hoped that he didn't see that she was lying. She had seen him in a different way for quite a while, the first time was about two years ago when he first looked her in the eye and she realized that he was no longer the boy that she wished that he could be. Then they wouldn't have a problem. She pulled a hand up from the pool table behind her and laid it on his chest, maybe it was time to be honest.

"The truth Sally." He demanded seeing through her deceit.

"Not other feelings exactly, but I occasionally see you as a very handsome man that happens to be my partner therefore untouchable." She told him final revealing at least part of the truth. "So there…your partner has had a few romantic thoughts about you, but they have come and gone for good, never to return." She said with more confidence than she felt.

"Come and gone?" he said looking at her. He took in the small blush on her cheeks, he wasn't sure if it was what she said, or his closeness. "Come and gone?" He asked again stepping closer so their bodies were touching. He noticed her other hand coming up to lie on his chest beside the other. "Gonna push me away?" he whispered.

"Maybe." She said nodding.

"I think not." He said bending down. He stopped his lips not quite touching hers, the last move was hers, and he would push himself on no woman. He stared into her blue eyes and she was staring back.

"Maybe not." She said going up the millimeter to finally touch his lips. She raised her arms to twine around his neck and his arms went around her waist, pulling her closer if possible. His lips slanted over hers, taking full possession. She really didn't seem to mind he smirked with satisfaction when a moan tore through her lips opening them up to his invasion. He ran his fingers lightly along the base of her spine and got what he wanted when her body arched pushing it full against him. His hands quickly undid the tucking of her shirt to touch the heated skin on her back massaging the silk flesh.

She couldn't seem to get control of her mind; it kept slipping farther and farther away. She grabbed his hair slowly pulling it out of its ponytail and digging her hands in it. She couldn't let go no matter how hard she tried. She never meant for this to happen, never thought that it would, but now that it was she knew that she should push him away. He pulled his mouth away and she couldn't help but whimper. She felt him laugh against the skin of her cheek; he was playing with her. She was about to pull away when she felt his teeth bite down slightly on her earlobe and it sent tingles down her whole left side. Her knees weakened and his arms pulled her up lifting her off the ground and placing her on the pool table. She opened heavy lidded eyes to look at him.

"Come and gone, you say?" He asked on a whisper, his heated breath brushing her face. She pulled him closer using the hands in his hair and brought him near. She lifted her legs to wrap them around his hips pulling him even closer.

"Not anymore." She whispered before pulling him to her again. She stayed in control for about 1 second before he took back over plundering her mouth. Her hands were constantly moving over his shoulders and back grabbing and clawing his flesh trying to pull him closer still. He moved his hands up her body from her waist up to hold her face. He gently brushed his hand across her face where being cautious of her bruise. He pulled away and he stopped looking down at her. "Don't stop." She pleaded.

"Not planning on it, but this isn't the place." He whispered. She brushed her hand against the skin of his face. He was being so kind and gentle, not making fun of her even though this was her weakness. These feelings for him made her weak. He leaned down brushing her lips quickly with his own. Then it all stopped. He gaze froze over as he grabbed her placing her standing behind him. Her head fell against his shoulder before leaning over his shoulder to see what a stolen his attention.

"Someone is here." He whispered and she looked to see he was right. Four men were creeping toward the door for sub level two. He grabbed their coats giving her hers then giving her her gun then grabbing his own. They both made sure that they were loaded. "I'll go stop them, you go check o the security guard and see what else is on the cameras." She nodded her head and crept away out of sight. He went to the back door of the game room and down the hall. He pushed the key code unlocking the stairway and headed down. He silently made his way down the stairs and peaked through the small window on the door. The four men stood there and Wufei watched as they tried to open the cell. He stealthily pulled open the door and took aim. The first one went down with a bullet in his shoulder, the second the same. The other two quickly took cover behind their fallen comrades. He looked and shot out the light above them then raced forward taking out the other two before the emergency light could come on. He heard the manual alarm and the emergency lights started flashing. He quickly stripped them of their weapons and opened a cell, then locked them in. He stood up and quickly looked up when he heard shots fired. Sally!

00-00-00-00

The security guard was shot through the head and bleeding over the video council. She scanned the TVs looking. She saw Wufei sneaking down the hall then she saw the others heading for the computer room. She sat down quickly pushing the guard off the computer. Using the computer terminal there she quickly got into the system and engaged, the fire and safety walls. A message displayed saying that Une was being contacted and that was exactly what she wanted. She then put the security system on full alert. The minute she did, the halls were full of flashing lights and the men trying to break into the computer room broke the door down. She quickly ran up the stairs heading for the computer room. With the noise she quickly snuck up, knocking out two of them then shooting the last one. She began to relax then felt a bullet go through her skin under her arm. She looked down and he looked surprised that he missed. She fired and the man slumped this time dead. She put a hand over the wound but it was bleeding too much. She looked up to see Wufei coming down the hall gun in hand.

"Wufei," she said looking at him, she was amazingly calm.

"Sally are you all right?" He asked looking over the men.

"Quickly, let's take them to the cells. That one's dead." Wufei nodded and grabbed the two living ones and dragged them to the elevator. Followed by Sally who walked behind him, leaving the dead one by the door to the computer room. He then took them down to the cell and locked him with the others. He looked behind him realizing that Sally had stayed in the elevator. "Sally?" He questioned walking to the elevator. That was when he noticed the blood. "Sally?" He asked.

"Listen to me." She told him. "Put pressure on it now. I can't keep enough on it." He looked down and pulled away her hand covered in blood. "Listen, it nicked the artery. I don't care if it hurts me, you have to put as much pressure on it as you can, or I'm dead." He took both his hands and wrapped them around the base of her arm, wincing when she screamed out in pain. He used his foot and pressed the button to get them to the main floor. As the elevator opened Une was rushing in along with about ten other Preventers.

"They are in cell B4." He told them. He looked down when Sally's body slumped into his. Noin rushed forward grabbing Sally's good side. Sally looked up and over to Wufei.

"I'm sorry." She whispered as her body finally gave up.

00-00-00-00

"She will be fine. The bullet was basically a nick, but it caught a little bit of the artery hence the blood loss. As soon as she's awake give her a day off then a week with office duty and then she'll be closer to normal." Une stood listening to the good news.

"And Wufei?" She asked.

"He should wake up anytime now. The drug we used was very mild, just a little knock out so he would let go."

"Good may I see them?" She asked.

"Yes." Une nodded and headed in. Sally was hooked up, an IV running into her arm and a heart monitor she really didn't have that much damage for getting shot.

"So what exactly happened?" She asked Noin who was sitting in the chair between Wufei and Sally.

"Well we got her here after she was shot, and Sally had told Wufei to hold on really tight so when he got here he couldn't let go. The doctors said it really common, it was part muscle cramp and part shock." She said laughing her eyes alight with the comedy of the situation now that she knew that her friend would be all right.

"Shut up woman." Wufei grunted from his bed. He sat up slowly, then yelled in anger. "They drugged me!"

"They had to Wufei, they couldn't pry your fingers off." Nion told him. The doctors came rushing in and then saw that Wufei was awake. He got out of bed, noticing that he was still wearing the bottom half of his Preventers uniform, but nothing else. He took the heart monitor stickers off his chest and walked over to Sally's bed.

"Is the damned woman all right." He asked looking down.

"My name is Sally." She whispered, fluttering her eyes open. He looked down and smirked.

"She's fine." He said walking over to the chair and pulling on his tank top folded up there.

"Noin, will you please stay and take statements from them then let them rest." She said before leaving. Noin sat down with her laptop and took their statements.

"What did they want?" Sally asked.

"To break into the computer mainframe and then rescue their teammate. One of them is talking and Heero and Duo are going on surveillance tonight. You'll be ready before we go in to get them." Noin told her smiling. "Well get some rest I'll be back tomorrow. When you're released."

"Bye." She said as Noin left. She pulled her hair back and looked over to Wufei. "Sorry."

"For what getting shot, it happens."

"Not to you."

"Well you aren't me, so get over it. Shit happens, and you killed the bastard, so forget it."

"Wufei about before. When…well…we were um…"

"Yes?" He questioned knowing exactly what she was talking about. The rosy blush was giving it away.

"Let's forget it ever happened." Funny he was about to say the same thing.

"Yes, it was just a…" He stopped at a loss for words.

"A thing." She said.

"Yes a thing." He said patting her hand awkwardly. "Good night." He told her.

"Yes, good night."

00-00-00-00

It didn't take but a week and she was back to tapping her pencil on her desk annoying the hell out of him. "Damn it woman I am trying to work." He said looking up his black eyes glaring at her. She smiled. Une had been easy on her she was mostly signing papers and typing reports. They were going to move in on the group that had broken in. They discovered that they were the ones behind all of the attacks against Relena and that they had hoped to use all the information in the Preventers computer to bring down the Preventers and Relena. Luckily for the Preventers, she thought, that she and Wufei had decided to make out on the pool table that night.

"Wufei got a question." She gasped when the pencil disappeared out of her hand. She looked up in time to see Wufei break the pencil in half and throw it across the room.

"What?" He asked leaning against her desk.

"Is Une letting me go in?" He looked at her turned around and walked back to his desk.

"Against better judgment." He said, "Yes."

"Better judgment?" She asked then looked over, "your judgment." She concluded.

"Yes, you just got shot."

"I'm better now." She said walking over to his desk to sit on the corner of it.

"I know you better than most, woman." He said looking up to her from his sitting position. "Like here." He said pointing to the slight bag under her eyes, "Most would not notice but I can see you have lost sleep. Nightmares?" He asked and when she nodded so did he. "The haunted me after the war. I was never quite sure exactly what was dream and reality, especially when I was dreaming about reality."

"Listen I've made mistakes, so have you, but I am not weak and I will go in there and do my very best."

"You are still not at the peak performance. I think you should wait. You are a weak woman."

"I am not weak." She said aggressively. "The first time you met me you said I was weak and that I shouldn't fight. Has nothing changed Wufei?" She asked angry.

"Listen woman. I go on missions with you every other day and I have trusted you with my life, but you are not where you could be and that is because you were shot." He stood up and loomed over her sitting on the corner of his desk.

"Listen Wufei…"

"You will go in woman, but you had better be damned careful, because I can't protect you."

"I have never asked you to protect me, I don't want you to." She said getting angry. "You self righteous egotistical pig. Do you seriously think that I am just some weak woman who needs some strong man to protect her? Do you?"

"Woman I never…"

"Am I just like every other woman you have ever protected, do I look like I don't know how to shoot a gun. Do I look like I don't know how to fight? You help to teach me Wufei. Do you doubt your abilities in me?"

"Woman I never…"

"I am not some weak woman who needs you Wufei, I don't need you." She said before turning and heading towards the door. He stared for a second then stepped forward grabbing her arm as she reached for the doorknob.

"If you would have let me talk I would have said no to all those things." He said getting angry. "But I just don't think that you should go into this situation. It isn't smart you should be at 100 and you're not. I think that you are not yet ready to head into battle." He told her bluntly.

"I think that you are wrong." She told him defiantly.

"And does this hurt?" He asked punching her injured shoulder lightly, but solid. Her eyes widened in pain and then glassed over with tears. She glared at him through the scheen of water and then she used all her strength, formed a fist and hit him square in the jaw, throwing his head back. He had never seen it coming. He brought his head back and shook it slightly.

"Never saw that coming. What was I too weak to fight back?" She asked her voice filled with sarcasm as a tear of pain finally slipped over her cheek. Wufei tried to suck the air back in his lungs and brought his head back to look at her. He looked at her amazed for a second; she had hit him. He saw the hurt in her face and the pain in her eyes, not just physical, but emotional pain. And he had put it there. Guilt swept over him quickly as he realized what he had done. He slowly reached a hand up and watched as she flinched expecting a blow but not blocking it. Instead he took the solemn tear that she had cried and wiped it off.

"I didn't mean to hurt you." He said indicating the shoulder

"Yes you did. Don't lie to me."

"I hoped it wouldn't hurt you, that I was wrong."

"You are wrong, I'm not weak. I am just as strong as you are."

"No you're not. Not yet. Sally I just don't think that you should chance another injury."

"Oh so this isn't a weak issue, it a worry issue." She turned her head to one side watching him. "Are you worried about me Chang Wufei?"

"You're my partner, who has been injured and who wants to do something rash."

"That's almost sweet." She said smiling even though he hadn't said yes she had learned a long time ago how to read what he said. She had never known Wufei to worry about her before. "I'll be fine." Wufei blinked confused by the sudden change of events. The fight seemed to be over and neither had lost. She had changed mood so quickly that he was left shaking his head. He looked over to see her getting ready to tap her pencil once again on her desk.

She hadn't even noticed that she had started to do it again, the tap-tap-tap was calming for her but it irritated the hell out of Wufei. She watched the pencil go up and down and up and down and then her wrist was grabbed. "Woman must you do that? I swear you do it to annoy me." She looked up to see him leaning across her desk. His face was inches from hers she looked up and smiled. She felt much better now that she knew he was worried and not being a jerk like normal.

"I'm sorry, it's just so soothing to me." She said watching the anger and annoyance in his glare.

"Find something else soothing." He threatened, watching her. Her eyes were no longer full of the pain he had put there and he was relieved.

"Like what?" She asked trying to think of anything that would annoy him. "I can try it with a pen instead." She suggested.

"No! No clicking, no tapping, no nothing." He said. "Infernal woman." He growled before turning away and going to his desk.

"Damn straight." They both looked up when Noin walked in.

"Hey all, sorry to disappoint Sal, but the group that broke in is moving and we have to move in tonight. Une's not letting you go in Sally, but you are going to be in the van. She's smart enough to know that these guys won't respect anyone else." Sally looked over disappointed. She really wanted to get these guys. After all they had been ordered to kill any Preventer that they saw. She nodded and they looked over to Wufei, she knew that he was waiting to see who he would be going in with. "Wufei, you are going in with Zechs, I'm stuck in the van too." Sally looked over in understanding and smiled giving her a hug. She wondered when, they had been married for about two years.

"Congrats," she whispered in her ear. In a way Sally was jealous her best friend had something that she had wished for once.

"We leave at 1300, see you then." She said then walked out the door.

"Happy, I don't get to go in." She said looking at Wufei.

"It will be one less thing on my mind." He said before turning and walking to his desk.

"Do me one favor, Wufei. Get them back for me." She asked, he looked up with understanding and nodded.

00-00-00-00

"Okay men, listen, all of you will be directly linked to either, Sally or myself. In the van the computers will be able to read the heat readings of the enemies where they are and where you are. If you find yourself lost you ask us, we will be on the Preventer frequency. Also you must stay with your partner, all their men will be in teams of four or more." Noin stated. Sally then stood up taking over the briefing.

"Two teams, Wufei and Zechs and Heero and Duo will come in on the south, Trowa Quatre will come in from the north, and there will be around 50 men for you to take out, do not use lethal power, but if it is you or them we want you. Wufei and Zechs your goal is to get in the house, Duo and Heero you're goal is the underground base. Secure everything. Everything else will be told to you on the way. Get going."

The plane ride was uneventful everything went well and then they got to the HQ of the enemy. It was bigger then she expected. She got in the van with Noin who drove it slowly dropping off the teams in separate locations, when it was finally dark they slowly went in on their target. Wufei went slowly sensing Zechs close behind. "Sally, Noin?" He asked making sure that they were there.

"We see you, you have five to your left, and they appear armed." He nodded and looked to Wufei who nodded saying he heard and then they moved forward. The mission went smoothly, Wufei and Zechs were a good team. Sally noticed. The two of them went through the house quickly wiping it clean. While duo and Heero were quickly securing the under ground base. Trowa and Quatre had taken out all but one of the roaming patrols.

"We found the leader." Zechs said, they had quickly made it through the house. The house was an old building and built like a maze but they made in through with Sally and Noin's help. Once the pairs got going the van was moved to the front. The house was only a hand-full of rooms wide, but was three stories tall. Right now Sally could look out the window and see where Zechs and Wufei had just gone.

"Dishonorable bastard killed himself." Wufei said nudging him with his foot. He then looked over to Zechs and shrugged his shoulders.

Noin was watching the computer screen carefully, the heart monitor showed that all the men were down in the underground base and all the patrols were down, but there was a large group headed for Wufei and Zechs. She quickly radioed both groups to check time but they were to far away. Trowa and Quatre would be another 3 minutes and they were almost on them.

"Zechs, they sent reinforcements, I don't know where they are comming from, another twenty give or take. You are on your own."

The message was clear to them they were in a stand off. Wufei and Zechs looked around quickly searching for cover and decided on a table, they tipped it over hand waited. It didn't take long before they heard the click of the door. Slowly they peaked up over the table and then opened fire on the group coming in after making sure that they were indeed the enemy. The group kept pouring in and the stood behind the table emptying clips into he growing horde. This was looking pretty depressing, Zechs thought to himself. They were taking down the ones on front but there was just too many.

"Just give it to me. Give it to me or they won't make it. If I aim in this room it should take out enough of the men to give them a chance." She said showing Noin on the computer screen. Sally saw no other choice. "The bodies of the men in the doorway will shield them. I'm not going to stand here and watching them kill my partner. So give me the damn grenade launcher." Sally ordered to Noin as she finally relented and gave the weapon to her. Noin couldn't shoot a grenade launcher if her life depended on it, so she let the injured woman go with little resistance.

"Sally be careful, your wound may reopen." She told her but they both already knew the risk.

"Are the others any closer." She asked.

"No Duo and Heero are still in the base while Quatre and Trowa are taking down the last patrol."

"Fine then." She grabbed the weapon and aiming to where the horde was continuing to grow. "This will help, here you go Wufei." She said pulling the trigger on the grenade launcher. She cried out as the kickback tore the healing wound in her shoulder. She knew that there was no possibility of tearing the artery again, but she knew she had torn the skin. She could already feel it bleeding, but she didn't care, as long as he was safe.

The explosion was something they didn't expect but it was defiantly a blessing.

"Damn you woman!" Wufei yelled as he looked up to see that the horde was no longer pressing to get in. She must have taken out most of them in the front room with the grenade. He heard a shot and ducked then went back and fired at the remaining enemies. Then all was calm. Both he and Zechs slumped against the table they had been using as their shield.

"Where did they come from?" Zechs wondered aloud.

"Who cares they're dead, and so is that Stupid woman." He said standing as the clean up crew came to arrest all those still with a heart beat. "Who the hell cares." He said stalking off with one target in mind.

00-00-00-00

She was in the van trying to tape up her shoulder before Wufei could find her. She looked on the computer screen to see that someone was quickly approaching. The wound had torn open, but she hoped that she wouldn't need staples again. She quickly put the gauze pad over the wound and taped it down. She pulled on her jacket as the door on the van tore open.

"You stupid, dumb, weak, insolent, woman! What the hell do you think you were doing? You could have killed us!"

"Actually no, we had it planned out well." Noin said defending Sally the only chance she would get.

"Out woman, NOW!" He yelled and Noin glared at him but got out of her chair and jumped out of the van.

"Sorry Sal." She said as she watched Wufei climb in and slam the door.

"It was planned I've shot one enough to know where it goes, you know I would never put you I danger." She told him in a whisper.

"I don't care. It was a stupid thing to do." He yelled at her glaring. "And I know exactly what happened to." He said stalking forward. He grabbed her jacket and unzipping it in a smooth motion, then quickly tearing it off. He looked at her shoulder where the blood had already soaked through the gauze pad. "I have worked with you for five years, I know you better than anyone else and I know the kick that a grenade launcher has. Woman never do anything that stupid again. Never!" He yelled before opening the van door and letting himself out.

They all boarded the presenter plane and headed back home. After the seat belt sign was off she quickly went to the bathroom, hiding her hand held first aid kit. She needed to get to a hospital, she needed staples even though she really didn't want to admit it. She stripped of her jacket and then took off the gauze pad. She started to wash the wound and pat it dry. She was a doctor and she had supplies. Her first aid kit was usually for other people so she had tones of stuff in the small package. One thing she had that most others didn't was supplies for stitches. She pulled it out and then slowly started her work. It hurt like hell, but there was no way she was going back to a hospital just to prove Wufei right. She only needed three stitches but it seemed like more when she was putting them in. When they got back To HQ she would head to the med. lab to make sure that everything was sterile, but this would do for now. She covered it up with a new gauze pad then slipped her jacket on zipping it.

Wufei watched his clock as another five minutes went by and Sally still hadn't emerged from the bathroom. Most of the others had fallen asleep after the adrenaline rush wore off. The only other one awake was Yuy and he often wondered he ever slept. He got up making his way through the narrow hall. He heard her shuffling in the bathroom and then a zipper he knew to be a Preventer jacket. He wondered if he had been too hard on her. She had helped him, he wasn't sure how he would have gotten out of that if not for her. He checked the door then looked down as Sally opened the door and looked up at him. She quickly hid the first aid kit but not before he saw it. He pushed her back in the bathroom and walked in with her closing and locking the door. She stayed silent looking at him was not an option. He looked extremely pissed. Why? How should she know, it was Wufei.

He was angry again. Why the hell couldn't she admit that she was wrong, that she shouldn't have fired the weapon. He gripped her waist, lifting her and set her up on the sink to inspect damage. How bad had she hurt herself. He unzipped the jacket once again.

"Wufei, stop." She said bringing her hands up to stop him. Her eyes met his for the first time and she dropped her hands surprised by the pure anger in his eyes. He finished unzipping it the pulled it off her shoulders. Amazing, Sally though, he was so angry but being so gentle. He pulled away the gauze pad and looked at the damage. The wound had torn apart and was now being held by neat stitches. The wound was angry and red and still seeping small amounts of blood.

"Damn it woman, you need to see a doctor." He said looking at it.

"I am a doctor and I am fine. All I needed was stitches."

"Which you did yourself," he growled angry. "Why in the hell did you so this to yourself?" He asked looking at her some of the anger gone.

"I wasn't going to sit there and watch as my partner, no matter how capable, sat there like a duck. You may not have needed my help, but you are far more important to me that this little wound. It was worth it." She whispered angrily. "I don't fell guilty and you can't make me."

"I wouldn't want to, you're assistance was useful, but it was not a good idea. You know you can't fire a large weapon for a month after receiving a gunshot wound."

"I don't care, I wanted you alive." She told him, watching the last traces of anger fade from his eyes.

"Damnit woman." He muttered still a little upset with her. "Why put yourself in jeopardy?" Sally shook her head he still didn't get it.

"For you." She told him honestly touching his face gently. "You're my partner." She whispered.

"Woman I can take care of myself." He told her. He was starting to get a little bit uncomfortable standing in her talking to her. It was small and cramped and she was seated on the counter and he was standing right in front of her. Her legs were slightly spread so that he could stand between them and looked at her and they were less that a foot apart. And she was touching him, a gentle hand brushing across his cheek. "I need no one." He told her leaning in closer. He wanted to make sure that she understood.

"You need no one." She told him in return, nodding. "But you're still my partner." She whispered. She jumped off the counter, standing right in front of him, their bodies touching, and chest to chest, thighs to thighs, and she blushed for a moment at the contact, but not moving.

"Sally, you don't need to take care of me." He whispered looking down at her. He reached behind her to help her pull her jacket back on, then laid his hands on her shoulders. "I've survived a long time without someone looking out for me."

"I know." She said looking down. Her shoulder right under his hand was throbbing and she really needed to just go and relax. She looked so lost, he thought, after all she had been trying to help, and she had. She also looked tired and the pain was obvious to him. Her hair was coming out of its twist and she looked worse for wear and here he was yelling at her in the bathroom on the plane. He twirled a finger in her hair before he realized what he was doing. "You don't need anyone." She finished a moment later, and he almost wanted to say that he did need her. He leaned down laying a kiss on her forehead. She looked up surprised. But then he laid another gentle kiss on her lips. She knew that this was the closest that she would get to a thank you. She leaned up and kissed him gently back as he put his arms gently around her shoulders pulling her closer in the small space they were already. She clasped her ands around he lean waist and let him gently assault her lips. This was different form the first kiss that they had shared, this almost loving. She pulled him tighter as their tongues slowly started to duel. She felt like she was on air and she knew now that she was in love with him. She loved this man and even though she was not sure where it had come from or when it had happened she was sure. She quickly pulled away at the realization. "Stop, we need to stop." She said pulling away and zipping up her jacket. She opened the door, "this isn't' the time or the place." She said leading the way back to their seats on the sleeping plane. He followed more confused then ever, women?

00-00-00-00

They had two days to do their reports and Sally was very specific. She went through ever detail as thought to prove that her actions had been necessary. She also found that Noin was making a point to defend her in her report as well. Not only that but they had the saved data from the computer to back them up. Wufei and her had not spoken about the incident for the two days or about the kiss for that matter. They simply fought or whatever. Sally turned in her report only to be called to Une's office two hours later.

"Yes?" She asked walking in the door.

"Sally," she said holding up the report. "I know you know the rules."

"I know them, ma'am but my partner was in danger."

"I understand, Sally. Now I will say never to do it again, but I will know that you will if anything like this ever happens again. I can not condone you, for I would do the same thing." Sally nodded grateful. "No I have a proposition for you. You know the new Preventer building that they are putting up in China?" She asked and then waited for Sally's nod. "Well I was asked to pick someone to put in charge there, Noin and Zechs are out of the question and I want someone who I respect and who respects me. Sally, I want you to go to China for two months and set up the new Preventer base." Sally looked at her stunned and Une smiled at the obvious shock.

"Sally, I want you to think about it. I want someone there that I can trust. And I trust you." Une told her

"But China, that's a long way." Sally said contemplating. She had come in here to talk about her report not to get a new job offer. Head Preventer at the New China base. She could go home.

"I want someone in command that I trust and who can work well with everyone, that would be you."

"But what about Wufei?" She asked the obvious question.

"He seemed to work well with Zechs and with Noin being pregnant they could work for the next year and then find him someone new."

"I need to think." She said though she already knew the answer. She wasn't needed here. Wufei had found a partner who was stronger than she was.

"Will two days be enough?" Une asked. "If you will be there I want you to choose the crew the staff and the people there. It could be your baby, just like this was mine." She told her. Une really wanted Sally there, while she loved having Sally under her command she could do so much more. "Please think about it, you're dismissed." Sally walked out and found Duo their standing, waiting.

"Did you hear." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Bad habit, sorry." He told her, "Congrats babe." She smiled at the nickname, he was the only one she would let get away with calling her that.

"What would you do?" She asked seeking guidance.

"I have nothing keeping me here, do you?" He asked. In the past five years this tall beautiful gundam pilot had gone from acquaintance to best friend. She looked into his violet eyes and knew he knew more than what he said. She could always be honest with him.

"Only one thing." She said thinking. "What am I to him?" She asked Duo.

"Honestly I don't know. He burns so hot and cold no one can really know. He cares about you Sally, but I don't know how far it goes. But I know that you love him." He said stuffing his hands in his pockets and rolling back on his heels. What she needed now was a listener and he knew that.

"I've kissed him twice," she said looking over to him, "and yet they shook me more than anything else in my life. That was when I knew, for sure. But I don't want to go through constant torture when I am only a worry to him."

"You have two days to find out." Duo said, his concerned violet eyes looking down on one of his best friends. "Think it out." He said placing an arm over her shoulder and squeezing. She smiled somewhat comforted. He looked up to see Wufei standing in the hall looking at them and in this one moment he was caught between two of his closest friends. He hoped that they figured it out because he really didn't want to see Sally go, and he had a feeling the neither did Wufei he just didn't know it. He looked back down to Sally then at Wufei noting jealousy, "See ya later babe." He said winking and walking off.

"Why do you let him fondle you?" He asked disgusted.

"That was not fondling that was friendly support." She said as she headed back to their office. He turned and watched her as she left, then continued to Une's office turning in his report. Then went back to his office. He walked in to find her once again tapping her pencil on the desk. She seemed to be deep in thought. He walked over grabbing the pencil, but she grabbed it back before he could break it.

"What is your problem woman?" He asked her angered.

"What am I to you Wufei?" She asked giving him a chance to tell her the one thing that would make her stay.

"You are a friend and a good partner, woman. Why ask?" He told her. She looked up studying him to see if there was anything beneath his eyes to say more, but his eyes held nothing but confusion for why she had asked.

"Thank you." She said before walking back out the room. Why did he have this feeling that everything was about to change?

00-00-00-00

"I'll do it." She said walking back into Une's office. The next day her mind made up

"Good," she said nodding. "I'll have you flow there tomorrow." This time Duo listened at the door and when he heard Sally coming he simply blended with the shadows. "Man Wufei you really did it this time." He whispered to no one in particular.

00-00-00-00

She sat at her desk think and couldn't think of anything personal that she had there. It was all stuff that she really didn't need to bring along. Une assured her that everything there would be provided. She looked up when a pack of pencils that were thrown on her desk.

"The ones I owe you, plus the ones I'm sure I will break in the future." He told her. She looked up and knew that she would truly miss him. She slipped the pack in her pocket and smiled.

"Thanks Wufei, I'll miss you, good-bye." She said smiling as she walked out the door a tear slipping down her cheek. No one was supposed to know where she was going.

Wufei watched her shut the door and was once again confused by the complexity of that damned woman, but there was something more. She wasn't telling him something. She seemed to be heavy hearted and he felt the same.

00-00-00-00

She packed up everything that she needed then packed it her jeep. Une said that she would take care of the rest. Her apartment would go to someone else and she would live in China the next two years. She would of course come back for when Noin's baby is born. She woke up early and found Duo waiting by the plane. His eyes looked up when he heard her jeep pull in. He had fixed it a while ago; all it had needed was a new starter. He raised sad eyes to look at her.

"Hey babe, ready to go?" He asked. She nodded smiling at him. It was 5:00 in the morning so no one else was around. They loaded her stuff into the plane and by 7:00 she was ready to go. "I'm gonna miss you. No one else can keep, Wu-man in control like you." She stopped to look at him.

"You truly are a very good friend Duo." She said reaching up to give him a hug. "I will miss you." She said.

"Ditto." He knew it would be another ten minutes before take off, so he watched her board the plane then ran like hell. Wufei was always here by 7:00 and it was ten after. He ran through the hall people moving for him. He stopped at Wufei's door and pushed it open. Wufei was sitting behind his desk nursing his first cup of coffee and oblivious to what was going on. He walked to him and pulled him up by the collar then slammed him against the wall.

"Maxwell what the hell?" He yelled.

"Man you truly are an idiot. You are about to lose the only thing that ever made you human. Did you tell her, Damn it. Did you?" He yelled. He could tell that he was confused.

"Tell who what?"

"Damn it, did you tell Sally that you love her." He watched as the Chinese man paled at the words and realized that he hadn't really known himself. "I don't know about you, but I don't want to lose her here. Didn't you wonder why she told you good-bye? Sally never says good-bye…see ya all the time, later maybe, but never good-bye. She's leaving man. You are the only thing that can keep her here and if you don't hurry the hell up, she's gonna be gone."

"Gone?" He asked in question as Duo dropped him from the wall. "She would never leave without tell me." He said confidently knowing that it was true. But she had said good-bye. And he had known that she was depressed. He could feel her emotions as well as he knew his own. Then that stupid Maxwell coming in here and talking about love. Is that what he'd been feeling lately. More irritable when he wasn't around her. Finding joy in teasing her, wanting more when he kissed her, dreaming of her at night…and more then just physical attraction. He had always been attracted to her mind, her strength of heart, her devotion to a cause, her devotion to him.

"She told you good-bye and why should she tell you, she's just a friend and a partner, right?" Duo asked. He knew he wasn't being nice, but Sally shouldn't be leaving and Wufei was the only one to keep her there. Wufei looked at Duo knowing that he knew something that he didn't. Upset he pushed Duo away and glared at him as he grabbed his Preventer jacket.

"When and where?" He asked in a growl.

"Now, China, Une wants her to set up the new Preventer base." He told him.

"Damnit, all these women are going to kill me." He muttered as he headed for the hanger bay.

Duo rubbed his throat and smiled. "Yup that's love all right." He said.

00-00-00-00

Sally sat looking out the window of the plane waiting for it to take off. Une had chosen a few others to go along with her and most were already asleep. She could never sleep on a plane. She watched as people moved around the plane preparing it for take off. Then she recognized one of them. Wufei, what was he doing here? Then it clicked Duo. She thought with a smile. She watched as he climbed the stairs to the door then pulled it open harshly. He scanned the crowed picking her out immediately. He walked over to her grabbed her arm and then told her.

"We need to talk, now." He said pulling her out of her seat then the down the hall.

"Wufei, Let go." She said pulling her arm out of his hand. The glare he sent her told her to follow with out question. She heard the people on the plane mumbling, some recognizing him as a Gundam pilot. She followed him down the stairs then in the middle of the airstrip he stood facing her.

"I think after working with you for five years I deserve at least a formal good-bye. Even more I think I deserve to know where you're going and how long I will be without MY partner. Woman you had absolutely no right to hide this from me." He told her.

"Why did you come after me Wufei?" She asked him. "To yell at me?" She whispered hugging herself the wind was cold. He stopped then wondered himself until he remembered his conversation with Maxwell.

"Its something that I think that you should know…I was well…" she watched him as he stumbled looking for the right words to tell her. She knew what he was trying to say… she decided to make things easy. She quickly framed his face with her hands looking deep into his eyes and for the first time she saw what she wanted to see in them.

"I love you Wufei." She said deciding to make it easier on him. He looked to he shocked then proceeded to grab her and pull her close.

"God woman, I love you too." He told her breathing a sigh of relief and then pulling her away slightly to lay his lips on hers, slanting them over hers taking possession. They stood there kissing wrapped up in each other until they pulled away for breath.

"I already told Une I was going. I can't go back on my word. Do you want to come, China base can be our baby." She asked him hoping he would say yes.

"Let's go see what we can do." He said heading back towards Preventer HQ, this time instead of pulling her along, he held he hand walking at her pace.

"Say it again?" She asked stopping and turning him. He didn't even pretend to not understand.

"I love you." She flew back into his arms.

"I thought that I would never hear you say those words." She said for a moment floating in his embrace.

"I never thought I'd want to." He said holding her. "But I do and I will say them and always mean them." He whispered.

"I know I'll love you forever too." They walked in past a grinning Duo and Wufei glared at him while Sally winked and mouthed, 'thank you.' Duo smiled, it was fun playing cupid. He clapped his hands together wondering who could be next.

00-00-00-00

Like I said this is by far not my best story but it is on of my two Gundam fics so it holds a special place in my heart. I have always liked the idea of Duo playing cupid and I think that it would take the threat of Sally leaving before Wufei would do or say anything and I doubt that he would know for sure if he was in love or not until someone told him to face the truth. Again, I hope that you enjoyed it and please review…good or bad, but please be respectful.

Thanks,

Cat


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